India to achieve 20 pc ethanol blending target in 2 months: Gadkari
New Delhi, Jan 15: India will achieve its target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in the next two months, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.
The practice of blending ethanol with petrol began in 2001 as a pilot project.
"We will achieve this target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in the next two months. Use of E20 (petrol with 20 per cent ethanol) will help in reducing pollution," Gadkari said while speaking at an event.
The road transport and highways minister said Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Hyundai Motors have started manufacturing vehicles that run on 100 per cent bio-ethanol.
Gadkari said pollution is a serious problem in the country as 42 Indian cities are among 50 most-polluted cities in the world.
"We import fossil fuels worth Rs 22 lakh crore, which is also causing pollution," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the higher 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol in 2023.
In the first phase, 15 cities was covered.
Use of ethanol, extracted from sugarcane as well as broken rice and other agri produce, will help India -- the world's third largest oil consumer -- bring down its reliance on overseas shipments.
India is 85 per cent dependent on imports for meeting its oil needs.
Use of E20 leads to an estimated reduction of carbon monoxide emissions by about 50 per cent in two-wheelers and about 30 per cent in four-wheelers compared to E0 (neat petrol).
The target of achieving average 10 per cent blending was achieved in June 2022, much ahead of the target date of November 2022.
Automobile engines can run on E20 with minor modifications in engine for corrosion, etc.
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'Adani scam cannot be covered up': Congress after SECI CMD sacked
New Delhi (PTI): With the government sacking R.P. Gupta as the Chairman and Managing Director of Solar Energy Corporation of India, the Congress on Monday sought to link it to charges against billionaire Gautam Adani and his associates by US authorities and said the Adani "scam" cannot be covered up.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the public sector Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) was indicted on November 20, 2024, by US authorities in the chargesheet against Gautam Adani and his close associates.
"It was based on SECI’s recommendation that different states entered into purchase agreements with Adani. Bribes worth Rs 2,029 crores were then reportedly offered and promised to Indian government officials in exchange for these agreements, which were then finalised," Ramesh said.
In an implicit admission of corruption, in December 2024, SECI changed the way it issues power tenders, he said.
"Now the CMD of SECI, occupied by a post-retirement bureaucrat appointed by the Modi government, has been sacked just a month before his tenure ends," the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, the Indian government is yet to respond to repeated requests by the US Securities and Exchange Commission to serve summons to Adani and the other accused.
"Despite the attempts at the highest levels, the Modani MegaScam cannot be covered up," he said.
In November last year, US authorities charged Adani, his nephew and executive director Sagar Adani and managing director Vneet S Jaain with being involved in an alleged scheme to pay bribes to Indian government officials to win solar energy contracts, and concealed the plan as they sought to raise money from US investors.
Adani Green Energy has said an independent review of its regulatory compliances related to an alleged breach that led to the indictment of founder chairman Gautam Adani and two company executives in a US court, did not find irregularities or non-compliances on the issue.
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